This summer we’ve been getting in a lot of juicy tomatoes, many of which actually have too much water content for using in salsa without straining out. The by product of straining out your salsa is of course, spicy tomato water. What do you do with it? Well, if you’ve been having a particlulary crappy week, you make tomato water cocktails. If you’re a fan of the bloody mary made with heavily sodium-laced tomato and vegetable juices, you’ll like these even better.
Here is a fresh tomato salsa, made in the food processor from garden tomatoes, onion, garlic, chiles, salt, lime juice and black pepper that I’m going to put into the fridge for dinner tonight. I’ve gone and strained a lot of the liquid out of it, and its ended up in the big tumbler cup below, yeilding about 12 ounces of garlic/lime/salt/pepper/chile flavored tomato water.
I’ve tasted the tomato water for spicyness and salt level and decided it needed a dash of Kosher salt and a little bit more black pepper.
I’ve added a good amount of crushed ice to my friend Mister Penguin.
For the booze component, I’ve chosen Hendrick’s, a Cucumber and Rose infused gin from Scotland that I really like. It adds a nice flavor. You could use your favorite Gin or Vodka as well. Two or three shots for a 12oz glass of tomato water should about do it, depending on how crappy a day you’ve had.
Shake, and pour into glass with ice.
Bottom’s up. Repeat if necessary.
